SpaceX is now planning to make its Falcon 9 rocket reusable by landing it on a barge.
This weekend, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk released some stunning new details about his plan to make it happen.
He tweeted an image Saturday showing hypersonic grid fins to help the first stage of the rocket land after launching.
During a test in Texas earlier this year, SpaceX showed how the fins deploy after launch, only to help steer the rocket back to land.
Musk said he plans to test the fins on the next launch, a space station resupply mission scheduled for Dec. 16 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
During a symposium at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology last month, Musk said being able to recover a rocket’s first stage will be a huge cost savings.
“Reusability, really I think a critical breakthrough in rocketry, to take things to the next level,” Musk said.
After SpaceX successfully deployed the Dragon capsule with cargo for the International Space Station in April, it used launch legs to try and land the first stage of the rocket into the ocean.
Unfortunately, the seas were too rough and the rocket was destroyed.
So now, Musk said he’ll try to land the first stage on this barge, off Brevard County’s coast.
“This is going to be positioning itself out in the ocean, with engines that will try to keep it in a particular position, but it's tricky,” Musk said.
On Twitter Saturday, Musk called it the Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship. It will use thrusters from deep sea oil rigs to hold its position within three meters.
Eventually, Musk wants to land the rocket on land.
However, for now, the plan is to land it on a barge out in the ocean, ensuring that if something goes wrong, nobody will be hurt.